Private Schemes
by Shizuka no Taisho
Summary: "You're already offering me the world. What more can the great Tony Stark grant?" "I thought you'd never ask."
1. Chapter 1

_This is a direct sequel to Private Encounters, which a remarkable amount of people asked a continuance for. I was tempted by the notion myself, so-here we are! I hope it's as enjoyable as the first. And I deliberately left certain thing/s vague, just to see how you lovely people responded. I'm mean like that. ;D_

 _Cheers! Please remember to comment/etc at the end. I'd really appreciate some feedback 3_

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel. I do NOT own Marvel!_**

The differences were subtle, but not without weight. They accumulated one by one until it was astonishing to Loki that none other had noticed. Were these not meant to be the very best intelligent and skilled mortals humanity had to offer? Each of the Avengers had been chosen for a select purpose, their role within their little team all but preordained, though they all were meant to be in possession of a clever mind. Loki didn't see how. This cuckoo in their nest was playing at being the real thing right under their noses, and none of the Avengers seemed to notice. Not even the genuine article himself. It was really rather embarrassing.

Yet it made him wonder. Loki was the master liar, a weaver of mistruth and forgeries of the highest caliber. It was hardly wondrous that he'd noticed the changes, sporadic or not. Was that the point though? Perhaps he was meant to see, to realize, while the others were left in the dark. It was a calculated scheme, relying solely on his silence.

Loki's mouth curled into a cool smile. No doubt about it then. Stark was playing a most dangerous game. "You are either incredibly foolish, or very clever." Loki settled back against the chair's cushioned back and looked out the kitchen's glass wall, catching the eye of the shrouded reflection as it came up behind him. "I've yet to decide which."

"Clever. Definitely clever. You should see my test scores." Tony grinned like a wolf and came up beside him, claiming the other chair to Loki's left. "I was wondering how long it'd take you to say something. What's the deal Lokes? I never had you pegged as someone to hold their tongue. You had to know it was me pretty early on. Or, not me really."

"Indeed. As I told you before, you are different from the Tony Stark of this world. And though you've made clear efforts to disguise yourself," Loki's eyes flicked towards the faint streaks of silver in Tony's hair, "anyone in your company should realize something is amiss."

"Anyone like...the Avengers?" That sharp grin flared at the corners, exposing more of Tony's teeth. But it was the darkness of his bourbon hued eyes that stole the spotlight. Within them was an entire cosmos of emotion, thoughts and feelings even Loki wasn't certain he could decipher. "You know, I was expecting more from Earth's mightiest heroes. I mean, Rogers not noticing is one thing. But the Widow? So much for being a super spy."

Despite himself, Loki chuckled. "I had wondered about that myself. But you are both arrogant, impulsive creatures. Perhaps the superficial similarities are enough to dissuade them from looking closer." Or they were truly more foolish than he'd imagined. It was a disconcerting thought. Loki lost his smile and matched gazes with the man at his side, well aware of their closeness. Their knees would touch if he so much as shifted an inch. "If you seek to rattle me, you're going about it all wrong. Your physical proximity is hardly threatening."

"You think I'm trying to threaten you? I mean, we've all got our kinks gorgeous, but I like my partners more on the willing side. The only thing I want you doing is screaming is my name." Tony scooted his chair closer and eyed the trickster, his chin cupped in a tanned palm. "You've got no reason to be afraid of me Loki."

"Is that so?" Fear was not what Loki felt when he looked upon this particular mortal. It was more akin to...unease. "You reek of the tesseract. You claim to desire me for your own nefarious purposes. And you've gone to great strides to integrate yourself into the life I possess here, despite knowing the risks." Loki stubbornly lifted his chin. "These are the actions of a madman. Yet you say I should not fear you?"

"Yup. Fear's for the masses. You? You're special. I need you able and willing, not cowering on your knees." Leaning forward, Tony called forth his devil's smile and brushed a finger down Loki's cheek. "Not that I'm opposed to you being on your knees."

Of that, Loki had no doubt. "You've made it very clear the position you would have me take in your life. But my concerns are still valid. You have given me no reason to trust you, Stark. Even this..infiltration of my life is but one more reason to keep my distance. You're a threat." A dangerous one. One he should logically inform the Avengers about. Why then did he keep his silence?

That callused finger slipped down his chin, caressing the swell of his lower lip. "Not to you. You're a powerhouse. I know exactly what you're capable of, and there's nothing I can do that you haven't seen before." Which was a warning in of itself. What did this Tony Stark know? Loki frowned at him, pulling away from the gentle touch. Tony let him, his dark gaze raking over every inch of Loki's face. "Here soon, you'll realize that I'm being genuine. I'm the least of your problems, Lokes. Do you still have my gift?"

The vial. Of course he did. "I was hardly about to give it back. The last thing I need are the Avengers adding the crime of theft to my ledger." Loki thought of the wretched poison he'd hidden away, its debilitating effects. He was...reluctantly grateful to Stark for giving it to him. The horrors that might have occurred otherwise-he didn't even want to think on it. "Why do you ask?" Loki suspiciously met the inventor's gaze in the window, a crash of lightning and thunder illuminating his features. He looked so much younger than the Tony Stark of this world. How had no one else noticed? "If you wish its return, you'll be in for a challenge. I-"

"Don't get your knickers in a twist. A gift's a gift babe. No returns or refunds accepted." Tony edged his seat over and laid a hand on Loki's thigh. But where the god expected him to caress and explore, as he had before, Tony kept his touch chaste and simply moved his thumb in a soothing circular motion, expertly joined by his husky voice. "I just wanted to be sure it was still in good hands. Can't have my other self getting the best of you. Where would that leave us? We're just starting to get to know each other. I don't need anything getting in the way of that."

Norns, this man was a loon. "And they call me silvertongue. Your words are far more poisonous than mine," Loki drawled, peering out the window to the dark horizon. The shadowy clouds and black sky were a fitting testament to his mood. "Surely you don't expect me to believe a word you're saying?" It would be foolhardy to do so. This was not a man he could trust.

"Have I given you a reason not to?" Seeing the look on Loki's face, Tony scoffed. "Oh please. Are you still holding that over my head? Yes, I drugged you! So what? If my Thor's anything to go by, drugs have been the least of your problems. You've had a shit life Lokes. After the whole spectacle with your kids, finding out you're adopted must've really been the straw that broke the camel's back."

A cold trickle ran down the column of Loki's spine. At first he wasn't certain he'd heard Tony correctly, but he wasn't the master of words for no reason. He knew, and it struck a chord in the very pit of his chest. "Children..." Loki whispered, suppressing his fury as he turned to face the billionaire in his chair. "How do you know of them? No one was meant to know!" They were Odin's worst sin, and the trickster's greatest heartache. No one was ever meant to know the truth of their existence, by the Allfather's decree.

"I didn't. Not for sure anyway. Thor told me the whole story of how they were taken away during his little sob fest. I guess he feels guilty for what happened, go figure." Tony smiled, sharp as a hunter's blade. "I couldn't be for sure about whether or not you experienced anything similar, but up until the bifrost incident you and my universe's Loki had a lot in common. It made sense that you both might've popped out a kid or two. It definitely explains a lot. Nobody's as moody and homicidal as you are without a good reason, Loki. And having your children taken away is a really good one in my book." He stopped his spiel long enough to see how Loki stared at him, hurt and anger two raw wounds in his viridian eyes, and then his lips pressed into a thin line. Not unlike Thor, it was akin to watching an incoming storm, save that Tony's was naught but slumbering, heated fury. "Listen, you can not trust me if you want. I can't blame you. But you need to know this Lokes. I grew up with a shit father. I know what it's like to be neglected and mistreated, and to have everything you ever cared about ripped right out from under you. What happened to your kids? I could never fucking do that. They didn't deserve that. YOU didn't deserve that."

All of the air rushed from Loki's lungs in one fatal swoop. Never once in all his centuries of living had he ever heard those words spoken. It had always been his fault, whenever fate delivered its recompense upon him. Whose silvered tongue had gotten him into trouble, again and again, despite his attempts to help those who hurt him? Who was forever in the wrong for attempting to carve out a place for himself outside the misery of Thor's shadow? And who had birthed creatures so terrible and monstrous in the eyes of Odin that he'd had no choice but to lock them away?

"...If you seek to endear yourself to me, then your efforts are for naught." Loki touched Tony's chest, feeling the thrum of energy pulsing within his arc reactor. It was so much more powerful than the one of the Tony he knew here, and it was equally intoxicating. Dangerous. Much like its owner. "I am a god of lies, mortal. Your falsehoods possess the fragility of a lily in a winter storm. I cannot, and will not believe they hold any truth."

"You say that, but you haven't pushed me away yet." Tony closed a hand around Loki's neck and tilted his head back. There was a strength to his touch that was unusually out of place for a human, which only served to strengthen Loki's concerns. "I can see your brain going a mile a minute. Stop thinking, Loki. That's part of your problem. You think too much. Let your instincts guide you for a bit, won't you?"

"My instincts are telling me to cast aside all your tender promises and do what I should have done from the beginning!"

Tony caught a strand of his hair and toyed with it, twisting it around his finger as if it were a piece of silken thread. "Yeah? Because I think they're telling you something different. You know I'm not lying. I bet you can even sense it, being the god of lies and all. You just don't want to admit to yourself that after all the shit you've been through, there might finally be a light at the end of the tunnel. You're afraid of it-all those tantalizing little possibilities," Tony murmured slyly. "There's nothing we can't accomplish together. The sky's the limit!"

"Hardly. You possess the tesseract. For you, there are infinite opportunities to explore, conquer. Whatever it is your heart desires." Loki's neck arched as Tony continued to toy with his hair, forcing the god to lean forward, exposing the elegant sweep of his throat. There had been a time where he'd done something rather similar, but to a blade as sharp as volcanic glass as a titan loomed over his shoulder. Merely the memory of it made his stomach knot in fear. Loki licked his lips and made to pull back, but Tony's hand suddenly buried deep in raven tresses and held him still. "Stark. Release me."

He didn't. "Normally I'd be ok with all this 'me' talk, but this isn't about ME. It's about US. Us two, and what we can do together." Tony was on the edge of his seat now, impatience creasing a few lines across his brow. "I didn't come to this universe for selfless reasons Loki. You already know that. I'm not a good guy. But neither are you. You want your damn throne? Then help me! My dais is big enough to hold two seats of power. I'm tired of flying solo anyway. What's the point in ruling the world if you don't have someone to gloat with you?"

"...Surely you jest." Just like that, the fool was offering him a crown? It was too simple. "Why," Loki frowned, fighting the hold on his hair so he could properly meet the man's eyes. "Why would you offer this to one such as me? You barely know me."

Tony snorted. "Isn't that how most arranged marriages start? And don't you give me that look. I'm not proposing marriage! Sex first, Lokes. Get your priorities straight. I'm only offering you a deal. Quid pro quo. A throne in exchange for your help." His grip softened, leaving room for fingertips to stroke down the length of his scalp. It was a lover's caress, and it made Loki...unsure. "Should I sweeten the deal? Yeah, I should. You're the greedy sort. Perfectly understandable. Alright. What if, beside the throne, I help you get something you really want. Will you consider my offer then?"

"Does your offer still end with my presence in your bed?" Loki didn't need to ask. The answer was there, emblazoned all over Tony's face. Still, he was intrigued. "You're already offering me the world. What more can the great Tony Stark grant?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Tony curled his finger, gesturing the trickster closer. Loki warily leaned in, refusing to shirk back when a set of warm lips caressed the corner of his mouth, shaping words. Specifically, two words that drove his heart to a standstill, the rush of blood loud as a war drum in his ears. Loki hesitated, repeating them in a vague sort of kiss, the curtains of mistrust drawn back despite his wishes.

"What you offer is impossible."

"Improbable. Not impossible. And me and improbability have a long standing relationship together. It usually works out in my favor." Tony pecked his lips and settled back in his chair, arching a brow. "Don't tell me you're not interested. You are. I can see it in your eyes. You look like a kid that just got told Christmas came early this year. For you, I guess this is even better than Christmas though, huh?" He nudged Loki's knee with his own, amusement dancing across his features. "So lets talk shop. I help you, you help me. We both walk away happy. Or, you can keep things as they are. I'm sure the Avengers will accept you eventually. You know, if you get a complete personality change first, maybe a new look to go with it. How do you feel about scales?"

"My youngest son is a serpent, you daft idiot." Still, Tony tempted him. Loki forced a smile and conjured two crystal glasses to his hand, both filled to the brim with ruby claret. He offered one out, matching Tony's stare perfectly. "I believe a discussion is in order after all."

"Finally. Now we're getting somewhere! You won't regret this gorgeous, trust me on that. This is the best for both of us." Tony lifted the glass in a cheeky salute. "Here's to good fortune, and wicked schemes."

"Yes...as you mortals say," Loki touched the rim of their glasses, feeling a surge of wicked delight brewing inside him. Perhaps this would end well after all. "Cheers, Anthony."


	2. Chapter 2

_Dark!Tony and Loki make me happy. That being said, I've been in a kind of a rut lately, so this was harder to get out than I thought it'd be. Ah well. Hopefully some of you enjoy it._

 _Comments and whatnot are appreciated!_

 ** _(Also I don't own Marvel)_**

-

"Just to make sure I'm not forgetting anybody, lets have a quick rundown. You've got four kids. One plays war horse to daddy dearest, and he's your firstborn. Then you've got the triplets. The girl's queen of the underworld. That was Odin's genius idea, a way to keep her out of the limelight. Your other two are boys, and they were deemed too dangerous to be out and about and were locked away for the safety of all the realms. The giant wolf has the world's most painful muzzle, and Salazar's monster is swimming around in the deep blue sea somewhere. That about sum it up?"

Norns be damned, he was going to throttle this man. "My children have names, Stark. You would do well to remember them." Loki gave Tony a bemused smile and sipped his glass of wine, settling back into the comforts of the leather backed chair in Stark's entertainment center, as he called it, the image of a crackling fire projected on the big screen tv. It was a curiously intimate environment, right down to his companion. Tony sat across from him in his slacks and claret colored shirt, the top two buttons undone to expose the glow of his arc reactor. He too held a glass, but his was only a quarter full, even less when he brought it to his lips and sipped at the rich bouquet with a grin. That damnable, alluring grin. How Loki wanted to hate it. "You smile."

"Yup. You're warming up to me Lokes, just like I said you would." With a clink of glass Tony set his drink down and looked at the piece of paper splayed out between them on the coffee table. Loki's handwriting inked it in a spidery scrawl, as sporadic and wild as its owner. "So lets see here. We've got Sleipnir, Hel, Fenrir-Jormungandr? What, are there no normal names up there in merry old Asgard? I'm never going to be able to remember all these."

"For your own sake, you had better. I'll not have my children face ridicule." They had known far too much of that already.

"No promises. I'll try though, for their sake. Got to make a good first impression," Tony winked at him and tapped the paper. "I know the mythology surrounding your kids, but it'd be nice to hear how accurate they are. We mortals like to flourish our stories to make them more interesting. Not that yours needed any help in that department." Grinning slyly, he met Loki's gaze. "Please tell me the stories about you being a shapeshifter are true? I mean, you're already a knockout, but I could really go for some lady Loki right about now."

Of course he could. How unsurprising that of all the talents Loki possessed, this particular one was what most captivated Stark's greedy eye. "My female form is not the point of discussion at this moment. Nor am I in any mood to accommodate your whims." He swiped Tony's hand aside and waved his own over the page, emerald magic seeping into its surface to rework the letters. "My daughter resides in Niflheim, the realm of mists and shadow. As she oversees those souls barred from Valhalla, I see no immediate means by which she might be freed of her duty. Nor if she would welcome it."

"I get it. A strong sense of responsibility, right? She probably gets that from you." Leaning over to get a better look at the words, Tony tapped the scrawl with his finger. "I know your firstborn's locked away in Asgard's stables. You said that yourself. But what about the other two? Fenrir and...fuck it, I'm calling him Jory. Yeah, Jory. I like the sound of that. You have any idea what part of the ocean he's swimming around in?"

"No. Odin made certain of that before he banished my son to this realm." Swallowing down the trace of bitterness that roiled up, Loki forced himself to take a drink of wine, settling his temperament. "Both Jormungandr and Fenrir were forced to wear suppression collars that dampen their magic. Without it, I have no way of tracing them."

"Don't tell me that's the only thing stopping you." When Loki turned a frown upon him, Tony sighed. "So much for being overly powered aliens. What, without your magic you're suddenly helpless? I don't buy that for a second. I've seen the footage, remember? I know what you can do. I know what you CAN'T do either, and this?" He tapped the paper. "A few spangly collars wouldn't stop you. So what aren't you telling me, Lokes? There's got to be something else keeping you from them."

Far too clever for his own good, this mortal. As always, it put Loki off balance, his heart pounding roughly as he struggled to right himself anew, avoiding the direct stare of those ocher colored eyes. "Magic is precisely what keeps me from them, you fool. Odin forbade me from seeking their freedom! His word is law, as king and Allfather! Were I to risk breaking his decree, all of the wrath of Asgard would fall upon not only my head, but theirs." Loki's mouth thinned with a razor sharp grimace, his body curling in upon itself in the chair. "My children have suffered enough by my hands, Stark. I will not cause them more pain."

Interestingly enough, that was the one moment Tony chose to remain silent. It was a short lasting one, of course. The man was incapable of keeping his mouth shut for long. But he soothed Loki's ire with a touch to his wrist, tan fingers gentle and warm through the fabric of his shirt. "What you're saying is, Daddy One-Eye is the one in charge, and he's got the magical juju going on. Right. Thor mentioned something about that in his drunk fest."

"He would. As the future king of Asgard, his word will have the same weight as Odin's." None would be able to ignore his will without supreme repercussions. "It doesn't matter. Even if I could bypass the Allfather's will, Heimdall would see and inform him of my treachery." There was nothing to be done. This was a futile endeavor, and Tony was a complete and utter fool if he believed this could go anywhere.

"Wow. Way to be positive there babe. I should've known you'd be all glass is half empty, the universe is falling around my head, blablabla." Tony picked up the paper, then crumpled it up and tossed it over his shoulder with a shrug. "Here's where you're fucking yourself over. Odin's decree only affects YOU, Loki. Not me. I can do whatever the hell I want, and your wannabe daddy can't do a damn thing to stop me. You get that? I'm pretty much untouchable. We're going to get you your kids back. We'll take down the Avengers and Shield, so nobody can stand in our way. Then you and me will reap the benefits of being the undeniable rulers of the world, all while celebrating over pina coladas in Hawaii. I think we'll be long overdue for a vacation by then." He paused, eying Loki thoughtfully. "Truth be told, you look like you could use one now. What do you think Lokes? You in the mood for some TLC?"

"...Surely you aren't serious. Anthony, we have no time for such frivolity! While you stand there and speak of these-these indulgences, my children remain suffering in their captivity!"

Despite Loki raising his voice, Tony wasn't phased. "You called me Anthony. See? Warming up to me baby, just like I told you." He left the god little time to consider that newest endearment before he left his seat and came to stand at Loki's side, callused fingers reaching out to stroke his pale cheek. "Look, I know you're upset. We've been drudging up a lot of bad memories today, and emotional stability isn't exactly your comfort zone. That much we've got in common. I promise you though, we'll get them back. We just need a plan of attack, which means I need YOU-" Tony caressed his bottom lip, "calm and reasonable."

"I am calm," Loki spat. Tony gave him a look, earning the god's disgruntled scowl. "It hardly matters. All this is pointless! No matter what sort of plans you're able to concoct, you won't be able to outsmart Odin. You are but a mere mortal, blinded by your own arrogance and pride! Or are you naive enough to believe you can outsmart him?" He recoiled from the touch that had wandered down to his throat and bared his teeth, a flush building up in his cheeks. How could Stark believe things to be this simple? He was deluded! "And what of the Avengers? You can't fool them forever! What do you think will happen when they discover that you've been masquerading as their teammate? If Odin doesn't destroy you, they will!"

"If. You mean, IF they find out. Which they won't. Not in the way you're thinking anyway." Tony perched on the armrest of his chair and smirked at him. "Sure, eventually they'll realize I'm up to no good. That's fine. I'm planning on that. What they WON'T realize is that I'm not the Tony Stark they know and love. But you don't need to worry your pretty little head about all that. I've got things set up so that you'll be out of the limelight, at least until I need you."

Perhaps he should've been concerned by the way Tony phrased his words, but curiosity ate at Loki, prompting him to speak. "You intend to take his place."

"I intend to take what's mine. If that means eradicating the competition, so be it. It won't be the worst thing I've ever done. Not by a long shot." Just like that, Tony switched gears and playfully stroked a lock of hair out of his face. "Now. How about that much needed vacation, hm? We can't leave the tower without the others getting suspicious, but I've got some massage oil I've been dying to try out. It's my own special creation, perfect for a guy like you."

By the Norns. Loki almost felt pity for the world that had previously housed this madman. More than that though, he wondered what would happen if he rejected him. "As I am not yet indebted to you, I think not. You will have my fill of your body after you fulfill your half of our bargain." There was a flicker of temptation though, warm and unfurling within his belly. And try as he might to hide it away, he knew Tony saw. But he let Loki flee his chair without a single complaint or cajoling word, simply watching, waiting, his brown eyes illuminated in the firelight.

"Fair enough. I can be patient. You'll change your mind eventually." Those enticing lips curled up in a smile, and Loki shivered, his silver tongue useless as he met Tony's gaze. He wanted to lie, claim otherwise, do anything to dissuade this annoying mortal that his dreams would only ever be that, never reality. Yet he didn't. Loki scoffed and left the room in a huff, rippling patterns of goose bumps washing down his spine.

To a magic user, reality was subjective. He wondered if Tony followed the same philosophy.


End file.
